The European Court of Auditors (ECA) says it welcomes the European Commission’s proposed new rules for managing the fines it imposes on firms that breach EU law and the penalties it imposes on countries that fail to apply it. In particular, the proposal is intended to ensure that firms and countries receive reasonable compensation if…
The European Commission has presents a priority list of top-3 health threats that require coordination of measures at EU level in the context of medical countermeasures. The list which includes three threat categories of life-threatening or otherwise seriously harmful hazards to health which have the potential of spreading across Member States. They are: (1) pathogens with…
The European Commission has received an official recovery and resilience plan from the Netherlands. This plan sets out the reforms and public investment projects that the Netherlands plans to implement with the support of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF is, according to the EU, at the heart of NextGenerationEU which will provide…
MEPs have backed a proposal to allow Ukrainian refugees to keep their national driving licences, exempting them from the obligation to exchange them for EU ones. Only two weeks after the European Commission presented its proposal, MEPs agreed to simplify the procedure for Ukrainian refugees to keep their driving licences in the EU, with 561…
World Farming has released a major new undercover investigation showing the “immense suffering caged female pigs continue to endure.” Powerful new footage obtained as part of a major European investigation into 16 farms across Poland, France, Italy and Spain – including those supplying ‘premium’ hams such as Parma and Bayonne – is said to reveal…
The Commission has taken what it calls “another important step” to help Member States, regional and local authorities and partners to address the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine by adopting the ‘Flexible Assistance to Territories (FAST-CARE)’. This is a new comprehensive package that extends the support already provided under CARE by offering further support and…
The European Commission has presented its Opinions on the application for EU membership submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova as invited by the Council. Last Friday’s opinions are based on the Commission’s assessment in light of the three sets of criteria to join the EU agreed by the European Council: political criteria, economic criteria and…
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against the United Kingdom for not complying with significant parts of the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland. Despite repeated calls on the UK government to implement the Protocol, it has failed to do so. This is a clear breach of international law, says the EU. The aim…
The European Commission’s proposal on human rights obligations of companies bears damaging marks from a successful business campaign, a new report claims. A report by lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE) and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) has, they say, “uncovered the astonishing extent to which pro-corporate voices…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key to the EU’s economy. But they have not really benefited from EU action aimed at enhancing their competitiveness. That is the conclusion reached by the European Court of Auditors in a special report published today. EU funds stimulated SMEs’ willingness to invest, but their impact and effectiveness on…
